I gave an important disclaimer to our first month’s book club participants about my August selection: the first half of the novel is pretty dark, but if you continue through to the end, the author achieves well-earned hopefulness in a book so rich you’ll never forget it. For many of the 29 people who found […]

When Marielle was seven, she visited her mother in The Philippines, in a group of islands called Cebu. The house was on the beach, and she could see the ocean from the upstairs. There were no windowsills, just wide holes displaying the water. Crabs and shells, relics of tides, were her playthings. She bathed in […]

Most days at the Pfister, not every guest is human. When I took on the Narrator role a few months ago, I was surprised and delighted to find that unlike most other premier hotels, the Pfister does not only tolerate dogs, but actually enjoys them. Their presence lends a comforting sense of home and family […]

I’m trying to get into volunteering. I want to do something mental-health related, maybe a suicide prevention hotline. My friend committed suicide a few months ago; it’s personal now. I’m intrigued by the human brain, the ways we respond to each other. I’m always reading about this stuff, all the crazy things going on in […]

Sitting alone in the lobby last night, he was drinking red wine and looking like a wealth of stories. Dan was spending the night at the Pfister, away from his home in Scottsdale, to attend the Northwestern Mutual Life annual meeting. He’s worked and traveled for the company for 44 years, so estimates that he’s […]

Tonight, Russ and Julie are celebrating their first anniversary with an overnight stay at the Pfister. They play a version of the Newlywed Game in the café. They say that after waiting to get married years after most of their friends did and a decade after Russ’s twin brother, it was worth it. And that […]

Nicole Mattke – The Current Narrator

Nicole Mattke looks to bring a vibrant literary culture to the historic Pfister hotel through a variety of activities. As the 10th Pfister Narrator, she will host seasonal mini-events with book themes, a modern take on a monthly book club and provide story prompts for guests and the entire community. She will share these, and all of her Pfister experiences, through blog entries over the course of a year. As a published and award-winning author, Mattke has presented her work at various events throughout the community. Her talents lie in creating stunning pieces of writing that reveal the beauty in daily life. A busy mother of two sets of twins, Mattke finds time to write in a variety of genres as well as contribute to blogs. Mattke was chosen to serve as the hotel’s tenth narrator-in-residence based on her excellent writing and vision for the role. She succeeds Dominic Inouye, who served as the ninth Pfister Narrator.